I don’t know what the fuck Jax is about to do. She doesn’t know who Jax is. But whatever this is, I don’t need details to understand that he’s on the right side.
Because some shit doesn’t need explaining.
You just know.
Chapter Four: Tigerlily
I’m staring at the door.
The pounding shakes the entire frame.
Zinnia’s holding onto me so tight I can barely breathe, but I hug her back anyway. My phone’s in pieces on the floor. He threw it against the wall, shattering the screen. My entire life just exploded in front of me. My apps. My photos. My homework. Gone.
I don’t have iCloud to back it up. We’re too poor for that.
“Zinnia!” Dad shouts through the door.
I pull back from her and look at the window. We need to get out of here. The pounding gets louder. Harder. I walk over and unlock the latch.
“What are you doing, Lily?”
I meant what I said earlier.No.I’m done with this. I’m over it. I need space. I need air to breathe.
“I don’t want to find out what happens when he opens the door. Come on,” I say, pushing the window open. It’s an old house, so the window makes a loud creak.
“Zinnia!” Dad’s voice shifts. “Honey! Open the door!”
Honey.That’s his bargaining voice. The one that comes right before he breaks something. Or someone.
Zinnia looks at the door, then at me.
“Come on.” I hold out my hand.
I jump out first. My bare feet hit freezing grass. The cold shoots up my legs.
Zinnia walks to the window and hesitates.
“We’ll come back when he’s not mad,” I say.
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
She takes my hand, and it feels like a promise to have her on my side. I help her through the window, and she lands next to me. I slowly and quietly shut the window behind us.
Dad’s still screaming. Threats I tune out because we’re outside now, and it’s freezing, and my sister doesn’t have shoes.
Neither do I.
I look toward the street. That’s too obvious. He’ll find us right away.
Then I see a shadow.
A tall one standing against my neighbor’s fence.
I jump, pulling Zinnia behind me. Is that our neighbor? I blink a few times to focus on my eyes.
The shadow waves one hand and presses a finger to his lips with the other.
